Prop 131: Ranked-choice voting on Colorado’s 2024 ballot, but some who backed Boulder’s shift oppose expanding it statewide

In November, voters will decide on Proposition 131 , a statewide ballot measure to establish all-candidate primary elections and introduce a form of ranked-choice voting in many Colorado and federal general elections.

Currently, registered Democrats and Republicans vote in their party’s primary, while unaffiliated voters can choose either. If Proposition 131 passes, all candidates would appear on a single primary ballot, and voters could pick anyone. The top four candidates would advance to the general election, where a form of ranked-choice voting, known as instant runoff voting, would kick in. Voters would rank candidates by preference, and a multi-step process would determine the winner.

Boulder was one of the first cities in Colorado to adopt ranked-choice voting for its mayoral elections, with supporters saying it makes elections more democratic by ensuring winners have broader support than under a typical plurality system, where a candidate can win with only a small percentage of the vote.

However, many organizers behind Boulder’s move to ranked-choice voting have mixed feelings about expanding it statewide, suggesting Proposition 131 may not be a clear-cut decision for voters. Their differing opinions also highlight what’s at stake for future elections in Boulder County, which historically have been dominated by Democrats.

Many local organizers agree that using ranked-choice voting in state and federal general elections is good for democracy. Proposition 131 would cover races for Congress, governor, state legislature, treasurer, secretary of state, attorney general, University Board of Regents and Board of Education.

A point of contention, however, is how it would change primary elections. Under the measure, voters would receive a ballot listing all primary candidates, regardless of party. Using the traditional voting method where voters pick one candidate, the top four would then advance to the general election.

Proposition 131 could reduce the influence of political parties, which currently play a key role in determining candidates through the assembly process . It could also make some primaries obsolete, as multiple candidates from the same party could advance to the general election. This would be significant in Boulder County, where Democratic primaries often determine the outcome of elections.

Despite supporting the 2020 Our Mayor-Our Choice ranked-choice voting measure, the Boulder County Democratic Party opposes Proposition 131. It argues the measure erodes parties’ ability to select their own candidates and would extend campaigns into the general election, increasing costs and inviting more money into politics.

The Boulder Progressives, another local group that supported ranked-choice voting locally, also opposes Proposition 131. The group argues it would force Democrats in safe seats to campaign longer for the general election instead of supporting other Democrats in more competitive races, threatening to weaken the Democratic Party’s control over state government.

“This measure will undercut the hard work that has been done statewide to secure a supermajority in the State House, allowing us to pass a number of meaningful, progressives bills that will have a lasting impact on the state,” the Boulder Progressives’ voter guide states.

Despite these concerns, some Proposition 131 supporters argue the current system could be more democratic. They note that primary elections generally see lower voter turnout, and shifting competition among candidates of the same party to the general election would involve more voters in deciding who wins.

“I think that’s good for democracy — to have the low turnout primary not be that important,” Celeste Landry, a co-leader of the Voting Methods Team for the League of Women Voters of Boulder County, said in her personal capacity.

Councilmember Matt Benjamin, who chaired the Our Mayor-Our Choice campaign, also supports Proposition 131, believing it would boost turnout in competitive Democratic races — the contests that matter most in Boulder County.

“Of course the party in power doesn’t want change when it works for them. But imagine a scenario when the political trade winds shift,” Benjamin said. “Why wouldn’t we want to see a good process expand around the state? Why wouldn’t we want to put more people in power of deciding who our elected officials are?”

Jan Burton, a former city councilmember and organizer with the Our Mayor-Our Choice campaign, is leaning in support of Proposition 131, saying in part it could help moderate candidates. Under the proposed system, candidates would need to appeal to a broader electorate, rather than to party die-hards who turn out for assemblies or primaries.

“Almost half of the voters in this state do not relate to the Democratic Party or the Republican Party,” she said, referring to unaffiliated voters. “It’s kind of telling that the parties are not supporting” Proposition 131.

In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved the Our Mayor-Our Choice measure to implement ranked-choice voting locally. One of its vocal supporters was Mayor Aaron Brockett, who in 2023, won Boulder’s first direct mayoral election using the method. However, unlike some other mayors in Colorado, Brockett is not taking a position on Proposition 131. While he generally supports ranked-choice voting, he is concerned about how the measure could affect the primary election process and subsequent general election.

“I’m mixed on this one,” he said.

Under the ballot measure, the new voting method would take effect in January 2026. But lawmakers this year passed legislation setting prerequisites for implementing ranked-choice voting that could delay when it would take effect.

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